In many careers, applause and acknowledgment are awarded soon after success happens. CEOs are praised for their vision. Top salespeople are rewarded with high commissions. Innovative engineers are recognized for their inventions. The rewards for applied skill and hard work come quickly after the work is complete.
Then there’s product management…
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The Product Management Perspective: One of the least palatable realities of product management is that applause and acknowledgment of great work does not come immediately; sometimes it comes slowly and many times not at all. This is the nature of the job. Product managers have to be looking months or years into the future. By the time the fruits of their labor are apparent to others in the company (e.g. management), the work the PMs did to make the release happen is long forgotten. Product managers should not take offense to this reality. Instead we should embrace it and make sure that through our hard work and strategic insight we create great products that help development, marketing and sales receive high praise and recognition for their work. Over time, with continued successful product releases, wise executives will recognize the crucial role product managers play in their company’s success, and the rewards and credit will come.
Lead on Purpose 